UFH on screeded floor - Staples or System plates

[jesteh]

I am about to order wet underfloor heating for our screeded floor area. As far as I can see there are two ways of laying pipes in screed - either using "plates" where the pipe sits on a plastic mat and wraps around preformed moulding or using staples which just push into insulation at regular spaces.

I like the system plates as it does make the job easier and its not much more (around £50 altogether) but to me it looks like it will reduce the amount of contact between the pipes and the screed. Because the pipe is wedged in bits of plastic, the surface area that can be covered in screed is reduced which to me would reduce the efficiency of the system.

With staples on the other hand, pipe is completely exposed and the screed would wrap them completely so it sounds like a better job when done.

The company I am buying this from are telling me its other way round - with staples you have more chance of air pockets and reduced efficiency and plates are better. They couldn't explain why though.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[mointainwalker]

A third possibility is to lay down panels of 3 mm wire- mesh on the insulation and wire the pipes to this.

I'm not really sure what comparison you are making here :

"I like the system plates as it does make the job easier and its not much more (around £50 altogether.."

You don't say what size floor is involved but i found the system plates were very expensive compared to flat boards. they also have the disadvantage - at least the ones I looked at - that the thickness of insulating panel is not very great - certainly less than 50 mm comes to mind .

The mesh also holds the pipes 3 mm off floor so the pipe is almost 100% exposed to screed which is not the case with either the moulded panels or the staples ( pipe pressed flat against insulation in both cases)

 

[jesteh]

Floor area is around 40sq meters. System plates I am talking about are just plastic boards - not insulating boards. They go on top of the insulation and just provide anchor points for the pipe.

I do like your idea of mesh - I haven't seen anyone offer this though as a fixing option. While I like it, I would imagine using your own solution to fixing pipes would amost certainly have negative consequences on waranty as well.